Python PDF API — Getting Started

With PSPDFKit’s Python PDF API, you can quickly process your documents by making HTTP requests to one of our 50+ API tools. You can make a single request to one tool or combine API actions to generate, edit, OCR, and convert your document (1 document can have multiple API actions).

In this guide, we’ll go through how you can use Python to make HTTP requests with our API by:

1. 1
   Installing the required dependencies
2. 2
   Preparing the payload
3. 3
   Making the request

This guide uses the requests HTTP library. Keep in mind that you can use any HTTP client you want; this example uses requests to demonstrate the principles of interacting with PSPDFKit API.

Installing the Required Dependencies

First, you need to make sure you have all the dependencies set up:

python -m pip install requests

You’ll also need to add document.pdf and logo.png files to the root of your Python project (the same folder you’ll be creating the pspdfkit.py file in). You can use the sample files provided by us — document.pdf and logo.png — or use your own.

Now that you have your dependencies and assets set up, you’re ready to start making requests to PSPDFKit API.

First, create a pspdfkit.py file which will contain your code to call PSPDFKit API. You can immediately import your dependencies as well:

import requests
import json

Next, you’ll prepare the payload.

Preparing the Payload

You can create your instructions object:

instructions = {
  'parts': [
    {
      'file': 'document'
    }
  ],
  'actions': [
    {
      'type': 'watermark',
      'image': 'company-logo',
      'width': '50%'
    },
    {
      'type': 'watermark',
      'text': 'Property of PSPDFKit',
      'width': 150,
      'height': 20,
      'left': 0,
      'bottom': '100%'
    }
  ]
}

payload = {
  'instructions': json.dumps(instructions)
}

Since PSPDFKit API expects the instructions to be a JSON object, you first create a dictionary that you then convert to a JSON object using the json.dumps function. In this example, you’ll be adding an image watermark. For more details on the available options specifically related to watermarking, refer to our watermarking guide.

Next, you need to prepare your assets to be sent:

files = {
  'document': open('document.pdf', 'rb'),
  'company-logo': open('logo.png', 'rb')
}

The requests library expects a file object to be passed in. So, open your assets here.

Making the Request

Finally, you’re ready to make your request. Make sure to replace the your_api_key_here placeholder with your actual API key if it hasn’t been replaced yet:

headers = {
  'Authorization': 'Bearer your_api_key_here'
}

response = requests.request(
  'POST',
  'https://api.pspdfkit.com/build',
  headers=headers,
  files=files,
  data=payload,
  stream=True
)

with open('result.pdf', 'wb') as fd:
  for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8096):
    fd.write(chunk)

This will make a request to PSPDFKit API, send your previously defined instructions object and your assets to the API, and save the resulting PDF as result.pdf in the same folder as your Python file.

And with that, you’re ready to make a request. Run python pspdfkit.py, and result.pdf should show up next to your Python file.

While this example made use of our watermarking API, this same approach can be used for all our available API tools.

Full Code

For your convenience, here’s the whole code. Just copy it and run it:

import requests
import json

instructions = {
  'parts': [
    {
      'file': 'document'
    }
  ],
  'actions': [
    {
      'type': 'watermark',
      'image': 'company-logo',
      'width': '50%'
    },
    {
      'type': 'watermark',
      'text': 'Property of PSPDFKit',
      'width': 150,
      'height': 20,
      'left': 0,
      'bottom': '100%'
    }
  ]
}

payload = {
  'instructions': json.dumps(instructions)
}

headers = {
  'Authorization': 'Bearer your_api_key_here'
}

files = {
  'document': open('document.pdf', 'rb'),
  'company-logo': open('logo.png', 'rb')
}

response = requests.request(
  'POST',
  'https://api.pspdfkit.com/build',
  headers=headers,
  files=files,
  data=payload,
  stream=True
)

with open('result.pdf', 'wb') as fd:
  for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8096):
    fd.write(chunk)